Description:

Scarce World War I-era naval uniform item, the overcoat of a cabin boy of the "Kaiserliche Marine", or Imperial German Navy. The child-sized coat is manufactured from blue wool in the double-breasted style, with a row of three buttons depicting a fouled anchor beneath a crown on each side. The cuffs are each fitted with two such buttons, with a flap-covered patch pocket at each hip. The coat features no lining or any manufacturer's label, but bears an embroidered oval patch at the left-hand shoulder depicting an Imperial German "Reichskriegsflagge" beneath the legend "Hindenburg". This indicates that the coat was worn by a cabin boy of the battlecruiser SMS HINDENBURG. It is accompanied by a blue wool sailor's cap fitted with a cap tally bearing the embroidered title "Hindenburg", flanked by the flag of Imperial Germany crossed by a cannon. The cap features a brown leather sweat band and is lined with white silk or rayon. The interior of the sweatband is marked with a partially-legible stamp identifying the maker as a "Josef Soska", with additional size stamps. The coat shows some moth nips but no observable holes, with the right-hand cuff unsewn. The cap shows appreciable wear and soiling to the sweat band and liner, while the cap tally is only sewn to the cap at the seam, likely as originally worn. The embroidered insignia on both pieces shows some minor thread loss. Very good overall. SMS HINDENBURG was the last capital ship built for the German Navy during World War I, but entered service too late to see any action. She was interned along with the bulk of the surviving German fleet at Scapa Flow, where she was scuttled by her crew under orders from Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter on June 21, 1919.

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May 1, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000